Brown wants Wroten focused regardless of his role

PHILADELPHIA — As though it’s not enough to turn a moribund franchise into a winner, the challenges keep on coming for 76ers coach Brett Brown.

The latest addition to Brown’s to-do list — after setting aside the team’s six-game losing streak — involves finding a way to bump up Tony Wroten’s interest (and productivity, of course), whether he’s a starter or a reserve.

Wroten, the Sixers’ sixth man, has become the team’s starting point guard while rookie Michael Carter-Williams continues to rehab that nagging skin infection on the front of his right knee. And with Wroten in the Sixers’ starting five, the second-year man has posted enviable numbers throughout the stat sheet.

Brown chalks that up to Wroten’s increase in minutes and his heavy involvement in the action. The first-year coach said having the ball in Wroten’s hands on every offensive series promotes his association with the game. When he’s not scoring for the Sixers, who had Sunday off, he’s getting teammates involved. He does it all.

So the natural question is this: When Carter-Williams returns to the lineup, how will Wroten respond? Will he adjust appropriately to his role off the bench, with fewer touches and fewer scoring opportunities?

Brown has said he envisions a backcourt shared by Carter-Williams and Wroten at the point and shooting guard spots, respectively. (Wroten is a part of the immediate future for the Sixers, who in October exercised his third-year option.) He and Carter-Williams had a casual chat last week about this very topic, a conversation prompted by Brown.

“We see what (Carter-Williams’) stats show. He was playing really well. So it’s not like I’m taking his position,” Wroten said. “He’s definitely our star point guard. A couple games ago, Coach came and brought me and Mike together and told us we needed to figure out how we’re going to do playing together, because that’s what he wants to do. Brett’s not saying we’re both going to start, but he’s just saying to keep it in mind and talk it over. I’ve known Mike since high school. We play well together.”

Wroten’s numbers per 48 minutes are quite the same, in either capacity. As a starter, he’s averaging 26.4 points, 7.7 assists, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals. As a reserve, his stats take a slight bump to 23.3 points, 5.6 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals, but they’re in the same ballpark. The same goes for his shooting percentages: 43.2 percent as a starter, 43.1 percent off the bench.

Nonetheless, Brown said he sees a difference in Wroten’s game.

“I think there are times when he’s not as interested as I wish he would be — on ball or off ball, when he’s not in the play,” Brown said. “So you say ‘Hey, here’s the ball, you’re the starting point guard.’ He’s engaged, he’s in the game. The times when he’s not on the ball offensively and defensively, which you wouldn’t be if you’re playing, given Michael is the point guard, I think there’s lapses.

“This conversation I’m having, I have candidly with him and Michael. How do you two coexist? You tell me. You figure it out. Because I think if they can coexist, they can do some different things. Michael being a strong pick-and-roll player with his right hand, Tony being a strong pick-and-roll player with his left hand. You can play them side by side or on each side of the floor. You got weapons going on two sides of the gym. That’s going to be the challenge that I have and may have and this conversation has been had squarely with both.”

Wroten said he’s equipped to be the Sixers’ shooting guard, playing beside Carter-Williams, if the opportunity presents itself. He said he played there in his one season at the University of Washington.

“I played the two in college. We had a good point guard, in Abdul Gaddy. I shifted over to the two guard,” Wroten said. “That’s the advantage of being a 6-6 point guard. You can play off the ball, too. Coach (Brown) said that, too. He said, if we figure it out, we can be dangerous.”

Just another challenge for Brown to handle, in a season full of them.

***The Sixers (7-18), expected to be at the bottom of the league, started the season with three straight wins. Brooklyn, a favorite to win the Atlantic Division, opened with three wins in its first 13 games.

While the Nets (8-15) are rebounding, with Deron Williams healthy and wins in three of their last four games, they’re still near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

“We don’t have any leeway to look past anybody,” the Sixers’ Thaddeus Young said. “I would say the same thing for Brooklyn. It’s definitely going to be one of those games where you come in and just see who fares the best.

“They haven’t played their best basketball, and I don’t think we’ve played our best basketball. As a young team, you’re going to take your bumps and your bruises. Right now, we’re taking our bumps and bruises. Hopefully we can get on the other side where we can start giving out bumps and bruises.”

***The Sixers’ Daniel Orton has been suspended one game without pay for his involvement in a scrum in Saturday’s loss to Portland, the league office announced Sunday.

Orton will sit out Monday’s game at Brooklyn. The Blazers’ Meyers Leonard received the same punishment, missing Sunday’s game.

The incident occurred with 7 minutes, 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter, when Leonard body-slammed Orton to the ground. Orton retaliated while both were in a heap, throwing an elbow that hit Leonard in the mouth. Both received Flagrant 2 fouls and were ejected from the game.